Tonight:
2°c
Labour candidate sacked for tweets on ‘chavs’, 'slaves' and ‘coffin dodgers’
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor9 Apr 2010
A Labour candidate was sacked by Gordon Brown today for joking about slavery and describing elderly voters as “coffin dodgers”.
In a huge distraction to his election campaign, the Prime Minister was forced to dump Stuart MacLennan after it emerged that he had sent a stream of foul-mouthed Twitter messages.
The 24-year-old parliamentary candidate for the Scots constituency of Moray — whose Twitter account is followed by Downing Street, Sarah Brown, Ed Balls, Ben Bradshaw and Andy Burnham, and who counts Cabinet ministers as Facebook friends— described Labour MP Diane Abbott as “a f**king idiot”.
He said Commons Speaker John Bercow was an “opportunist little tw*t” and tennis star Andy Murray a “d**k”.
His message about “slave-grown” fruit caused particular offence. “God this fairtrade, organic banana is sh*t. Can I have a banana is sh*t. Can I have a slave-grown, chemically enhanced, genetically modified one please?”
Mr MacLennan also attacked the elderly, bemoaning that he is “sitting opposite the ugliest old boot I've ever seen” and in another Tweet referring to pensioners as “coffin dodgers”.
He repeatedly described younger voters as “chavs” and boasted about his drinking: “I think I might be sober for the first time in four days.”
Mr Brown, who was in Scotland to help his party's campaign, told ITV News: “When I first saw the comments, I said, This man has got to go'.
“I'm afraid he has made a mistake and I can't have that. I can't have him representing the Labour Party as a candidate. I think people will know we have got to be tough on these things.” Just an hour earlier Scottish leader Iain Gray had said the candidate still had the support of the Labour Party. “He's a very young guy, a first-time candidate. I guess we all make mistakes when we're young,” Mr Gray had said.
Mr MacLennan had earlier put out a statement. “Some of the things I twittered before I became a candidate were very, very silly and I can see how people would be offended. I have let myself and my friends down and am really sorry,” it read.
Shadow communities secretary Baroness Warsi demanded to know why Cabinet ministers had followed Mr MacLennan's tweets without raising “a note of protest”. “This speaks volumes about the deeply unpleasant underside of the Labour Party,” she said.
Moray is held by the SNP's Angus Roberston, with a majority of 5,676.
Reader views (72)
I find it hilarious. more MPs should be honest like him and give us a good laugh.
I am 80 and not in the least offended
- robert L Cooper, hornchurch uk, 24/10/2011 18:20
Report abuse
Whats the problem? a typical labour voter. Mike. Newhaven
- Mike Deasy, newhaven UK, 12/04/2010 03:22
Report abuse
Fred,
Of course he is free to join the TORIES.
IN Harrow/BRENT
We have party whers the Chairman and PRESIDENT don't
leave in the consituency.Its a party where the
executives and lead members on the council are
FREEMASON. BARONNESS WARZI & DAVID C have just sat
on their fannies and ignored it. Theresa Mayhew was
spot on when she described it as the nasty party .
There is no real change
no real change
- Alf Delima, harrow east uk, 11/04/2010 22:14
Report abuse
Penny,I can sense your utter disgust at the conservative candidate standing in Harrow east, do not worry I have heard from my sources that a petition is being organised by the people of Harrow East to request for his expulsion from the Tory party .This will be the real acid test for Cameron about modernising the party and get rid of biggots like Bob Balckman!
- Jane Pritchet, Harrow Middlesex, 11/04/2010 22:05
Report abuse
I have just looked at the TORIES ACCUSED OF RACISM BLOG
on the evening Standard. This incident happened
months ago. This odious character Bob Blackman was
even then selected for parliament.Where are the checks
Can we accept this abominable person into the TORY
party & may be in parliament.There got be something
wrong & nasty.Further my sources say money has gone
missing in the consituency taken by his wife.Do we need
another crook whose record smells .Cameron this is not
acceptable if you really seeking real change
- Peter O'Sullivan, harrow east uk, 11/04/2010 17:39
Report abuse
This is what you get in a male, stale and pale environment!!
- Olly, London, 11/04/2010 13:12
Report abuse
Why sack Mr Maclennan ? He was only reporting what Labour thanks about the Elderly.
- Stan White, leeds, 11/04/2010 07:30
Report abuse
Looks nutty but he may be right about Diane Abbott
- Coylum, Vancouver, Canada, 11/04/2010 06:26
Report abuse
Who gives a monkey's arse about his irreverence ?
If I was one of his potential constituents, I'd be more interested in his political experience, credentials and views, or lack of them.
Let's try and stay concentrated on the important stuff, and less on the sticks and stones.
- Madmax, London, UK, 10/04/2010 22:47
Report abuse
I am amased at BARONESS WARSI coplaining abt LABOUR
when Bob Blackman the conservative who is standing
for HARROW EAST refused to allow memmbers of the
etnic community in the AGM even though they had valid
membership and the monther of one of the lads
identified him as her son
see evening standard blog Tories ACCUSED OF RACISM
- Tony Burns, harrow east uk, 10/04/2010 17:41
Report abuse
Now he's free to join the Tories.
- Fred, London, 10/04/2010 16:04
Report abuse
I am beginning to think that there is a Tory "fifth colum in the Labour Party ranks trying by any means to demonise the Labur Party to but votes at the election.
T H
- Thomas Hayes, Bradford UK, 10/04/2010 15:19
Report abuse
He is no different from other M.P.s or would-be M.P.s, they all hold their electorate in contempt.
The only difference is that he was even more useless than the others in, at least, half concealing that contempt.
- Mmiguel, Old Isleworth, London, England, 10/04/2010 12:44
Report abuse
His views were fine, he just found trouble for publicizing them before the election?
- James Andrews, sacramento USA, 10/04/2010 03:46
Report abuse
ok so he's in a marginal and perhaps you wouldn't want to waste a good candidate, but in a population of 70 million is this the best they could find ? an inadequate school bully buffoon.
- Squiz, islington, 09/04/2010 23:58
Report abuse
This just shows how far Labour has declined, they find it so hard to find anyone mad enough to stand for them they accept this sort of idiot. The fact initially the Party defended him just shows they don't really care, just need someone to appear on ballot paper as Labour. The same applies to people like Hazel Blears etc. I suggest Labour voters just spoil their ballots to show disgust at Brown for not getting rid of her.
- Rob Young, Stroud, 09/04/2010 23:47
Report abuse
Well done Gordon for cleaning up the party of bsuch unpleasant character.Wish the Tories would do the same with their cans=didate in Harrow East.
- May West, harrow london uk, 09/04/2010 21:03
Report abuse
I happened to have read the racist article 'Tories accused of racism'under Bob Blackman's leadership in the Evening Standard and I cannot believe it that no steps have been taken to oust the Brent Tory leader out of the Tory party and that he is now aiming to be The MP for Harrow east. Why is that man still around and he definitely will not get my vote if Cameron is not going to follow suit and get rid of him.
- Penny Smith, Harrow London UK, 09/04/2010 20:05
Report abuse
A disgrace. Lets have the minimum age you can stand for Parlament at 35. He was in an unwinnable seat, but its no excuse.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 09/04/2010 20:01
Report abuse
Why should some of us be surprised that a Labour politician should trawl in the gutter and put down for all to see, the only comments that he considers intelligent. His comprehension does not extend above this level and he has some experienced role-models to follow, namely Draper, Whelan and McBride, those arch gutter level nondescripts, drawn from nowhere by Blair and Brown and given positions of exalted power in order to rubbish, insult and falsely accuse the opposition of all manner of odious, vile and obscene practices. As Baroness Warsi say's, this is the hidden, undercover face of Labour, many Cabinet members knew what this idiot was up to, they read his twitters, they knew who he was, friends of Ministers and they did nothing, absolutely NOTHING. They are not just the new "NASTY" party, I think a better word would be the new "FOUL" party.
- M. Clift, Worcester., 09/04/2010 19:54
Report abuse
"Excellent Gordon for this speed of light action" did some idiot actually write this? This candidate had been writing this stuff for months this first reaction was that it was a bad thing to write and that he should appologise and that he was a good candidate only later did they think he wasn't a good candidate. Gordon Brown's party has been lying and spinning for years remember these are the people that thought September the 11th was a good day to release bad news. The labour party has been all about news management and making sure the story gets across what we want is politicians who do the right thing because that is their conviction not because that is what the spin doctors tell them.
- Michael Murcott, Braintree Essex, 09/04/2010 19:38
Report abuse
People are in fear of Labour, from Prescott's physical attacks, to No 10 'All the forces of hell' Brown directed against his 'friend?' Darling. Remember David Kelly.
Brown openly leads Labour lies with his blatant distortions and faking, as at Chilcot for wide media coverage. Later admitting he lied to a small media group.
Brown lies undermine UK rule of law. Brown lied to Chilcot. Then he claims Labour increases in NI puts money 'into' the economy. Everyone who ever had a real job knows tax takes money out of the economy. This is like Brown's 'I ended boom and bust'. It proves he reverses economic and financial facts. Brown is economically illiterate and totally deluded.
Money has to be created first in the real economy. It has a multiplier effect. Tax takes money out. Some may come back as pay for a State official who is not adding value, pus pension. Brown's extra 1 million State workers take £25 Bn a year from pensions and new hips. Brown's interest bill will exceed £50 Bn a year. The cost of whole Government departments.
Defra spends £3,157M a year on 67 Quangos with jobs worse than Yes Minister. 'The Food Standards Sampling Co-ordination Working Group'. Lord Rooker (you could not make it up) gets £54,000 pa for 2 days a week at the FSA, Food Standards Agency, he created.
Luton Price should know Brown is useless, these were old comments followed by Balls and others, Brown dithered.
- Jennie Scot, bolton, 09/04/2010 19:31
Report abuse
we need real people in government. not the tories or labour who coming in as socialist saviours have turned out to be the most corrupt government yet. O Gordon by the way, who sold off all the gold, who de regulated the banks, who wanted to bring in laws so you couldnt find out about expenses - you smirkey w++++r
- Tony Gray, west sussex, 09/04/2010 19:18
Report abuse
I think he might not be ready for such a grown-up job.
- Gail Renard, Florida, USA, 09/04/2010 18:38
Report abuse
Keith Price, Luton England - why would Cameron reprimand Boris Johnson for contradicting his opinion on young offenders? Conservatives do allow discussion and - heaven forbid! - disagreement between themselves. It's called democracy rather than left wing dictatorship.
And how is this even in the same league as this jerk that the PM rightly dumped? Well done Gordon Brown, I say. Johnson, though, expressed a policy opinion. That nonce in Scotland expressed only his ignorance and immaturity.
...and you again demonstrate your usual blind anything goes as long as it's pro-Labour shallowness.
- Rogan, Irving, 09/04/2010 18:26
Report abuse
Sour grapes from Keith Price, as usual.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 09/04/2010 18:16
Report abuse
I'm a Labour Party supporter. The problem here is people being selected as parliamentary candidates whose only life experience is the Westminster circuit. Bright eyed things that are contemptuous of mere mortals like ourselves. You find them in all parties. I call them West Wingers as I imagine that's one of their fave programmes.
- Tony Mcmahon, London, UK, 09/04/2010 17:54
Report abuse
The guy should be shot for comments about old folks.
- Bruce, DRANCY FRANCE, 09/04/2010 17:50
Report abuse
This guy is obviously as dumb as he looks.
- Black Tom, London, 09/04/2010 17:50
Report abuse
He certainly talks rubbish, I guess he must be related to Broone.
- Jose Luis, London SW18, 09/04/2010 17:45
Report abuse
Albert Hall Hove, I woz here first mate!!
- Albert Hall, Kettering, 09/04/2010 17:23
Report abuse
Fortunately he was just being thrown into a very large barrel as the SNP hold Moray by a large majority with Labour in fourth place.
Our Prime Minister can hardly claim rapid action when some of the comments are 16 months old.
We are told that his "followers" include Ed Balls and the former Scottish leader, Wendy Alexander.
If they have not spotted anything amiss maybe they need a course in speed reading or skimming documents.
- John J, Edinburgh, Scotland, 09/04/2010 17:10
Report abuse
How on earth did this person get to be selected as a candidate in the first place. Makes you wonder even more about the quality of the Scots in that Party.
- Geoff Coles, Cape Town, South Africa, 09/04/2010 16:29
Report abuse
LOL Looks like he forgot he was part of a communist party that restricts speach and over promotes political correctness.
- Dr Martin, Barking Mad, London, 09/04/2010 16:27
Report abuse
Maclennan is the true face of Labour,cruel and heartless...and judging by those eyes barking mad as well.
- Jacob Marxist Hater, Communist Controlled Britain, 09/04/2010 16:12
Report abuse
Excellent Gordon for this speed of light action alas
David Cameron has been sitting on his bottom when it
comes to decision like this Bob Blackman conducted
a stop & search on ethnic communities at the
conservative agm and he still
allowed to stand Is this the nasty party I WONDER
- Brian Shenton, harrow uk, 09/04/2010 16:12
Report abuse
Just goes to show how bad the candidates are. Clearly they are clones of Gordon because he does not care about people either and is a proven liar.
These Twits on Twitter are Labours past its time for Change
- Patrick Mc Crossan, London Lambeth, 09/04/2010 16:09
Report abuse
This tweeter gang are without doubt the bottom of the barrel
- Ghengis Junior, Fishguard Wales, 09/04/2010 15:51
Report abuse
I agree with comment about Andy Murray though.
- Dom, London, 09/04/2010 15:37
Report abuse
Huggy - there was no chance of him getting elected - Angus Robertson SNP MP had a sizeable majority at the last election - followed by Conservative 2nd and Labout 3rd!!!
- Unbiased, Nairn, Scotland, 09/04/2010 15:33
Report abuse
Nice to know what the Labour Party think of it's constituents.
Why didn't Sarah Brown and Ed Balls tell Gordon.
- Pat Morgan, spain, 09/04/2010 15:32
Report abuse
Will he be suing for wrongful dismissal?
- Dannyp, Egham, 09/04/2010 15:30
Report abuse
My 76 year old father worked all his life in public service. He served in this country's armed forces as a young man, and was elected to service in local government after retirement. He gave voluntary service to his church,and his community. He helped unemployed youngsters find work.
2 years ago when he needed the NHS for the first time in his life - they badly let him down. Fortunately he had the finances to pay for private treatment, but my family and I were deeply angered that he had to do this.
No doubt this vile, cynical, ungrateful fool MacLennan would regard treating my father as a waste of resources. It is good that the Labour party got rid of him as quickly as they did, but what does it say about their party that this odious character was a candidate for parliament?
Men and women of my father's and mother's generation were and are still of far greater value to society that gutter politicians like Stuart MacLennan.
- Dan, London, 09/04/2010 15:29
Report abuse
Pensioners should remember the tax on their savings at the start of Labour in 1997. Labour has not defended the grey voters of Britain and now an official candidate has shown his disrespect. The wheels are coming of the Labour campaign. I bet the LibDems will beat Labour in the popular vote.
- Andrew, London, 09/04/2010 15:28
Report abuse
The Labour government keeps telling us how keen it is on matters of security.
How, in pity's name, could this man's social networking sites have got through the basic checks to be carried out on a parliamentary candidate ?
- John, Edinburgh, Scotland, 09/04/2010 15:11
Report abuse
Ha Ha Ha.....
He would get my vote! Best lines I've heard from a politician in a long time.
- Sarah, London, 09/04/2010 14:59
Report abuse
People have the right (at the moment, anyway) to express their opinions online. The biggest joke, though, is that his own Party has just forced legislation through Parliament that could end this very freedom. So it serves him right.
- Kate, London, 09/04/2010 14:50
Report abuse
As others have previously stated, the most alarming thing is that this puerile twit was selected in the first place as a Labour candidate!
There could have been a danger of this buffoon actually being elected to Parliament by those who blindly vote for a political party without checking out the individual candidate.
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 09/04/2010 14:30
Report abuse
There is a vast difference between disagreeing on policy and being down right abusive. I do think the many of the regular Labour Supporters who post comments on every subject under the sun are doing the party a great deal of harm. Plus they seem to make up other parties policy as they type. For instance since when has Cameron said he would cut the taxes of the rich? Today he suggested that in Education no one should be paid more than twenty times the lowest in the profession. in short introducing a maximum as well as a minimum wage. That is more left wing than the entire Labour Manifesto, who still cling to taxing the lowest wage earners at 20% rathe than the 10% it was . A tax simply on the young, poor and pensioners.
- Alan,, England., 09/04/2010 14:22
Report abuse
He is only espousing the views really held by the majority... same goes for those who followed him but failed to rebuke him for saying what he really felt...
- Vij, Londonium, 09/04/2010 14:20
Report abuse
He's not wrong about Andy Murray so he'd have got my vote...
- Richard, Sevenoaks, England, 09/04/2010 14:12
Report abuse
1 down, 645 to go.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 09/04/2010 14:11
Report abuse
Guido says Sarah brown and No 10 followed this man's tweets and never said a dicky bird about his foul mouthed tirades. He was only sacked because he decided to resign.
- Albert Hall, Kettering, 09/04/2010 14:10
Report abuse
Can't argue with his comment about Diane Abbott.
- Andy Taylor, London, 09/04/2010 14:05
Report abuse
If that's humour then it is of the immature schoolboy type. People who Tweet on Twitter aren't called Twits for nothing!
- Janet, London, UK, 09/04/2010 14:01
Report abuse
A silly, arrogant twerp elected as a representative of the Labour Party? Why am I not surprised? What is surprising that he has not been allowed to get away with it. Repellant and offensive little man and good riddance.
- Santa, London UK, 09/04/2010 13:47
Report abuse
Absolutely disgusting! Some of the nastiest, rudest and offensive comments I have ever heard - What a complete disgrace Stuart MacLennan is.
It speaks volumes about Labour (the Nasty Party) that they chose vile creatures like MacLennan to stand as an MP.
They've got form though, just look at the cast of characters from NuLiebour - Brown the Bully, Venomous Damien McBride, Charlie "Smearer" Whelan, John "punch a voter in the face" Prescott
This nasty lot should be forever consigned to the dustbin of history.
- Anon Pc, Londongrad,EUSSR, (Formerly Great) Britain, 09/04/2010 13:35
Report abuse
Shadow communities secretary Baroness Warsi complains that Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, Ben Bradshaw and John Prescott and others all followed Stuart MacLennan's tweets without raising a note of protest.
This hardly "speaks volumes about the deeply unpleasant underside of the Labour Party.”
Instead it shows that the only people to bother reading his silly tweets were Tory activists.
Mind you, it serves him right.
You can be sure that other candidates with Twitter accounts are hurriedly deleting anything that might cause them similar embarrassment.
- C Nichol, London, 09/04/2010 13:30
Report abuse
The remarks were made many months back. Brown moving fast?
- Mike Deasy, newhaven UK, 09/04/2010 13:28
Report abuse
Is'nt socialism wonderful!
- Andy Sutherland, St Germain France, 09/04/2010 13:27
Report abuse
Keith, you've obviously had a sense of humour bypass: BoJo's comments were said with his tongue firmly in his cheek.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 09/04/2010 13:23
Report abuse
He'll go far in politics with an attitude like this. Back to being an estate agent or used car sales men.
- Hansel, London, 09/04/2010 13:15
Report abuse
Sounds like he's just about the right calibre for a NuLiebor MP.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 09/04/2010 13:14
Report abuse
This chav, coffin dodger has paid hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxation during the 75 years of his life. But, I guess, now that I am drawing a measly pension from this lousy government I have become too expensive to keep now.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 09/04/2010 13:07
Report abuse
He's welcome to stand round here, would be a far more amusing prospect than Ann Keen and Mary MacLeod.
Now, about George Osborne calling Gordon Brown 'autistic' - gonna pick up on that, anyone?
- Tom, London, UK, 09/04/2010 13:04
Report abuse
In these politically correct days it seems that we are all losing a sense of humour. I am more worried about the people that took him seriously than about him!
- Michael De Ferrari, London, 09/04/2010 12:53
Report abuse
As Tony Blair would probably say, "It's only Stuart being Stuart".
- Totally Confused, Ex London, 09/04/2010 12:48
Report abuse
Labour: The Nasty Party
- St, London, 09/04/2010 12:46
Report abuse
Who selected this wretch at 24, to stand as a labour candidate. They must be really scraping the barrel.
- Viktor, London, 09/04/2010 12:46
Report abuse
Terrible. Gutter politics. He did at least admit it was him and not that someone "hacked" his account.
Not that it matters with comments like those.
Now what about the multi trillion pound debt?
- Alfresco, Reading, Berkshire, 09/04/2010 12:45
Report abuse
Anyone remember the film 'Cone Heads'........
- Jonny, London, 09/04/2010 12:44
Report abuse
Well done Gordon Brown for acting so swiftly. I bet Cameron won't even reprimand Boris Johnson for contradicting his plans on young offenders
- Keith Price, Luton England, 09/04/2010 12:41
Report abuse
